Operation: Candy
by PenelopeJess
Summary: A prophecy that "When the White Knight finds true love, the Evil Queen shall fall" leads Regina to think that making Emma fall in love with her would prevent the prophecy from coming true, unaware that she was speeding things along
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Cross posting this fic from tumblr. It was done via a prompt given anonymously. Hope you're enjoy it! :)  
**PROMPT: **A prophecy that "When the White Knight finds true love, the Evil Queen shall fall" leads Regina to think that making Emma fall in love with her would prevent the prophecy from coming true, unaware that she's speeding things along.

* * *

There it was, golden brown and slightly tattered, staring straight at her. Regina ran her fingers lightly over the cover and sighed. She probably shouldn't have left it anywhere in the mansion, she probably shouldn't have even taken it out. But Henry was begging for a story and Regina was longing for a connection. In a delusional moment, she thought maybe if she opened up more, like naming the boy after her father, she would feel the family she once had when King Henry's beating heart still rested within his chest.

Henry had never left the book alone, especially not with her. Ever since he got his hands on the book and found Emma, things changed. Once again, opening her heart to someone else proved to be a mistake. Perhaps it's destiny that she will never win.

In the moment of presented opportunity, Regina quickly shut the door to her office and moved the book to her table. What was it that Henry refused to reveal? She flipped through the pages, all familiar except for the last. The inscription wasn't there before, that she remembered. She traced the words as she read it. A frown creased her forehead, then, lips curled into a sneer. The White Knight, the one who will save everyone from the curse, has to be Sheriff Swan. That nauseating hope that everyone clung to might help her after all. If a true love's kiss can break any spell, it can break any prophecy. Regina shut the book and rested her elbows on the table, dark eyes stormed over, a plan already brewing in her mind.

—-

The unmistakable rhythm of heels clicking on concrete brought about a loud sigh from Emma's lips. "What do you want, Regina?" she asked flatly as the clicking stopped. Emma had braced herself for a ridiculous demand, but what she did not expect was the cup of coffee and a brown paper bag that dropped on her desk. Surprised, she looked up, her gaping mouth and furrowed eyebrows met with the most charming smile.

"Thought I'd bring you breakfast," Regina pipped. Emma took a cautious whiff of the coffee, then a peak into the brown bag. "Apple cinnamon bun," the mayor said without prompt.

"What do you want, Regina?" Emma asked again, in the same flat tone as her gaze returned to the pile of papers in front of her. Then, something gray cloth came into her vision. Startled, she jolted slightly. It took a moment for the sheriff to register that she was glaring straight at the mayor's hip. She wet her lips and followed the curved line up to the brown eyes. She wasn't sure if the twinkle that reflected off was one of mischief, or a sign of evil brewing in the other woman's mind. The mayor leaned forward, a signature move that neither understood nor respected the concept of personal space. "A peace offering," she said, inching the coffee and bun towards Emma.

The lack of distance between them pulled a spark of tension, yet brought a sense of uneasy comfort. Suddenly realizing that her mouth was still gaping, Emma shut it and adverted her gaze. Inevitably, adverting her gaze from the mayor's face led straight to the clear view of her shirt's opening. Emma began to gather that this visit came with strings attached.

"No strings attached," Regina reassured, as though reading her mind. "I just thought," she paused, sliding off the table. "The sheriff and the mayor should be able to work together with no animosity. We should start over, clean slate."

"Regina, how do you expect me to—"

"Emma," the mayor interjected, catching the gaze of the sheriff. A moment of silence passed before Regina let her eyes soften. "Please?"

Before she could pull out her last card, Emma nodded and reached for the coffee. "I'll try."

As though on cue, Henry ran in, stopping to lean closer to Regina than usual and eyed the brown bag on the sheriff's table. "I told mom to get you the apple cinnamon one—it's my favorite."

Emma made a face and Henry giggled. He looked up just in time to see a smile on the mayor's face. "I have somewhere to be," Regina announced, then leaned down to kiss Henry's forehead. "You have nothing to do," she waved accusingly at Emma's pile of paper. "I'll be back to pick him up before dinner."

As soon as the door swung shut, Emma poked Henry's arm playfully. "What's wrong with her? Did somebody do something to her?" But Henry just shrugged. "I think she's just in a good mood today. Maybe she'll even invite you to dinner." His plan has already been set in motion—nothing like the push self-preservation would give. Perhaps all that is needed to banish the Evil Queen is simply to banish the evil in the Queen.


	2. Chapter 2

"Can I ask you something?" Henry whispered to the girl next to him.

"Sure."

"I need a name for my secret plan. But it can't be something that anyone can easily guess." He explained.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows for a moment then looked back to him. "Does it have anything to do with candy?"

Henry shook his head and she flashed him a toothy grin. "Call it _Operation Candy _then!"

—-

Regina fluffed her hair as she gaze at her reflection in the full length mirror. She was due in court in about forty-five minutes and Emma is going to be there—some idiot charged with drunk driving on the account of manslaughter. If Regina had it her way, she would set the man free with a slap on the wrist and a box of chocolates as thanks for having one less person to keep track of in Storybrooke. She applied another layer of ruby red to her lips and rubbed them together. The sparkle from her dangling diamond earrings matched those in her eyes as she flashed a smile.

"Perfect," she took one last look at her reflection before leaving the mansion.

With precise timing, Regina arrived just as the Sheriff and Mr. Gold did, perpetrator in hand. As she ascend the steps, Mr. Gold let out an audible sigh and turned away. But Regina only smirked in response.

"Good morning, Sheriff," she greeted, ignoring the men completely. Her smirk quickly turned into a grin when Emma spun around to her voice. The sheriff sucked in a breath audibly as she took in the sight in front of her—perfectly combed hair, flashy earrings that match the white smile that greeted her and a v-neck red dress that hugged the mayor's figure.

Regina advanced towards the woman when she noticed the blue eyes drifting down her body. "Shall we?" she urged. "Don't want to keep the judge waiting." Emma cleared her throat and tucked a thumb into the front pocket of her pants, eyes still unable to meet Regina's. "Right, of course."

—-

The coast was clear. He made sure of it before he closed the double doors. The boredom on the mayor's face was clear as day he turned to confront her.

"Disrupting your plan, am I?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Her lips betrayed the statement as it fought a smirk.

"Of course, my Queen," he gave a small bow as he uttered it. At that, the smirk won the fight.

"Careful, Rumpel," she warned playfully and gilded towards the doors.

"Regina."

She stopped and raised her chin as he leaned in with a whisper.

"You will need my help," He reminded her. "As always."

She whipped around to face him and closed the distance between them threateningly. "Stay out of my way, Gold."

The doors creaked open cautiously and a blonde sheriff peeked in.

"Regina?"

Like the flip of a switch, her thorny brown eyes softened and a smile spread across her face before she turned to face their intruder. Before she could breathe a word, Henry poked his head in with a cheery smile.

"Mom!" he inched his way past Emma and stood between them as the mayor advanced in their direction. "Want to come to lunch with us? Say yes, please?"

Regina looked up at Emma as she wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. Gold's quiet exit doesn't interrupt the awkwardly intense moment of connection as their eyes met. Emma's lips broke into a smile and shrugged.

"I was planning to bring Henry to that burger—"

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

"How was lunch?" the brunette asked without peeling her eyes off the television. The door shut and the light whoosh indicated Emma hanging her coat.

"Weird," the sheriff breathed.

With a hand perched on the couch, Mary-Margaret turned and rested her chin on the back of the hand and tilted her head curiously at Emma.

"Weird?" she echoed, a crease forming between her brows.

"Henry asked if we could invite Regina along."

"What did you say?"

"I said yes," the sheriff shrugged.

"And?"

"I don't know," she admitted, eyes rolling up left as she recalled the afternoon. "She's incredibly nice. I think she might be up to something."

Mary-Margaret's eyes trailed Emma's movement until the blonde settled down on the couch opposite her friend.

"Ask her out to dinner." the brunette suggested.

Emma's eyes widened. "Like, ask her out-ask her out? Where?"

Mary-Margaret shrugged. "Anywhere you want to. Somewhere…you."

—

"I'm sorry Mayor, but your town kind of sucks. There's only so many places we can go." Emma grinned, a light playfulness in the insult.

"I'm assuming we are taking….that?" Regina gestures to Emma's bike with one hand as she closed the door behind her. Emma only handed her a helmet in response. The black tank top and skinny jeans showed off Regina's figure and Emma couldn't help but run her eyes over the woman that stood in front of her.

_The things I do…_ Regina thought, but plastered a trained smile as she took the helmet from the sheriff's hands.

"I hope you manage to find a sitter in such short notice."

"You underestimate my contacts, Sheriff." Regina chimed, then ducked her head into the helmet.

—

"We had burgers for lunch yesterday," Regina complained as they stopped in front of the joint. With years of the front she put up, it took additional efforts to hold back snide comments that now breathe out of her. It took even more effort to constantly remind herself of the plan she had brewed in her mind. "Sorry," she offered a sheepish smile and pulled the helmet off her head.

"When a girl asks you out, the least you can do is be nice," Emma laughed, then caught herself. "Not ask you out-ask you out. But as, you know, friends."

"Sure," Regina flashed a toothy grin. _But not for long…_

—

"I'm sorry Mayor Mills, he insisted on waiting for you to return." The sitter said just as Regina took one step into her mansion. She gave the sitter a nod and paid her.

"Henry?" she called out just as the sitter left and kicked her black pumps off. The boy on the white couch turned around with a gleeful grin on his face.

"How was dinner?" he asked as he propped himself up on his knees.

"Great," she said, voice slightly void of emotion as a frown crept across her face slowly.

"Oh," Henry sounded disappointed.

"I really liked the burgers there," she tried and offered a genuine smile that coaxed one from her son. "I had a nice, juicy one with cheese and pineapple." she added, then held out a hand for Henry to take.

"C'mon," she said, and he took it. "Time for bed."

—

As Regina mused over the progress of her plan in the shower, Henry pulled the covers over his head and clicked a switch on his walkie talkie.

"Mission Burger was a success." he said into it. A short buzz was sounded before the voice came over from the other side. It chuckled.

"That's great, Henry!" Mary-Margaret encouraged. As much as she tried to fend off Regina's plots towards her in the past, Emma is her friend and the both of them are Henry's mothers. If this new union of the two turned out to be a success, her friend will have one less trouble on her hands and Henry will no longer be caught in the middle of their constant quarrels. When Henry approached her with his plan, Mary-Margaret couldn't find a reason not to help. And if she was completely honest with herself, Mary-Margaret felt responsible that the book she gifted Henry had pulled him and Regina further apart.

"She liked the one with cheese and pineapple. Euck!" he reported.

"Don't be mean to pineapples, Henry," Mary-Margaret's voice traveled across. Then another buzz and this time, she was whispering. "The sparrow has landed." She informed as the door unlocked. "See you in school tomorrow, Henry."


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning!"

Emma jumped at the sound and shrugged a sweater on. "Hey! Why aren't you at work?"

"It's Sunday."

"Oh," she said, dragging a chair out opposite her room mate and sunk into it. She reached out for a bacon strip and brought about the first scowl of the morning.

"Get a plate!"

"Sorry." she muttered between chews but remained glued to the seat.

"So…..?" Mary-Margaret dragged, catching Emma's attention again.

Emma made a noise of acknowledgement in response and poked at the plate of scrambled eggs with a clean fork.

The door behind her creaked open before she had to come up with something more than "it was okay". They turned attention the sound and was greeted with a bright smile.

"Henry! What are you doing here?" Emma lit up, then turned back to Mary-Margaret with a frown. "Don't you lock doors anymore? Living with a sheriff, you should know better than this."

"On the contrary, I'm living with the sheriff," Mary-Margaret chimed.

Henry closed the door behind him. This time, he was carrying a over-body pouch instead of his backpack, the book no where in sight. Before Emma could question, Henry pulled out a silver chain from his pocket—the circular pendant reflected off the morning sun—and took a step towards Emma.

"This is for you," he said.

Emma held a palm up for Henry to place it there. What hung around the chain was a ring—a rippled pattern coated the surface.

"It's beautiful, Henry," Emma tore her eyes off the gift for a moment to plant a kiss on her son's forehead. "Where did you get this?"

"Emma…" Mary-Margaret interjected.

"I mean, thank you,"

Henry hoped onto the seat next to her and removed his coat. "You're welcome. I knew you'd like it. What's for breakfast?"

—

Regina stirred, turning around in her nest of comfort and raised an arm to shield her eyes from the morning sun. She reached out to the bedside alarm in routine and rubbed her eyes.

_10:30. _The red digits glared at her and she stretched. A half hour before brunch—just enough time to wake Henry up, get dressed and be ready for their Sunday brunch. Reluctantly, she tore off the covers from her body and padded down to her son's room.

"Henry?" she called out with a series of taps on the door. The absence of answer encouraged her to push the door open. The bed was half-made, his backpack and the book rested by the foot of the bed but her son was no where in sight.

"Henry?" She called out again, louder this time, as she closed the door to his bedroom.

A quick scan through the huge mansion proved fruitless and she rushed back to her room. Regina pulled open the top drawer of her dresser as anxiety rose. The unusual sight that greeted her brought about a wave of mixed emotions.

"Where is the ring?" she thought out loud. It was the ring that Daniel slipped on her the night they promised themselves to each other. Holding it close to her had always brought a bout of peace and reassurance. Ever since Mary-Margaret gifted Henry with the dreadful book and Emma stormed into town, she found herself needing it more than before.

Before she had the time to react fully to the disappearance of the most important thing and person in her life or contemplate calling the sheriff she was trying to seduce, the doorbell rang.

The hope that it could be Henry and the prospect of something horrible churned in her stomach as she grabbed a robe. Regina dashed down the stairs and pulled open the front door before she had the chance to pull her robe together.

"Henry!" She cried out in relief and embraced the little boy in front of her. "Don't you run away without telling me again! You scared me half to death."

To her surprise, her son's arms found their way around her neck and he gave her a light squeeze. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Are you okay?" she asked as they pulled apart and he nodded. That was when she noticed the familiar pair of legs clad in skinny jeans behind her son. Her eyes trailed the lines and was quickly met with Emma's face.

"Sheriff Swan," she greeted almost too politely, then hugged the black, silk robe to herself. Remembering her plan, her demeanor changed and a smile exploded on her face. "Thank you for finding Henry."

That was when she saw it—Daniel's ring. It hung loosely on the silver chain around Emma's neck and Regina's face fell for just a moment before she masked it professionally again. "Beautiful necklace," she commented.

Emma reached up and traced a finger around the ring and smiled. "Thanks. Henry gave it to me—he was with me all morning. I'm sorry, I should have brought him back earlier."

"Don't be silly!" Regina waved it off. "Come in," she invited, stepping aside for Emma to enter. "We're just about to have brunch."


	5. Chapter 5

Emma Swan has grown fond of the ring that hung from the necklace. It used to be a token of love from her biological son, much like the shirt that he had taken from his adoptive mother. By the time the revelation that the ring belonged to Regina was dragged out from the mayor, Emma no longer felt the mix of disbelief at her son's theft and the disgust that she's wearing something that belonged to the only person in town that wanted her gone.

The promise of a starting over for the sake of the boy seemed to be paying off well. It has been almost half a year and the strict schedule of when Emma can spend time with Henry was thrown out of the window sooner than the blonde expected. Many other things went out of the window shortly after, although Emma wasn't sure if boundaries or personal space was the first one to go. Dinner invitations soon extended to family movie nights, and sleep overs didn't take long to join the list of things the three of them would do together. It took several display of affection given by Henry to Regina and subtle swallows of impatience the mayor had towards the sheriff for Emma to finally trust that there was no evil plan brewing in the shadows.

It must have happened gradually, because neither seemed to notice it. It started with joining the breakfast table at the Mills mansion after staying over the night before, then followed by the borrowing of the mayor's silky pajamas. It wasn't long before Emma got her own tooth brush and her own drawer in Regina's dresser. After falling asleep on the same couch during movie night and waking up to a missing Henry who had wedged himself between them, both women decided that sharing a bed wasn't as awkward as they thought it would be.

It began innocently-Regina waking up to the weight of Emma's head on her shoulders, turning only to find her face buried in a bed of yellow hair. She tried rousing the woman gently then, only to find the sheriff's arm tightening around her body as she muttered her name softly. It was the first time Regina heard Emma addressing her with her first name. A smile played upon her lips and it took Regina a moment to realize that there was no one to feign the smile to.

They used to take turns making breakfast, with Regina rolling her eyes at Emma's initial, pathetic attempts. Regina's impatience that prompted her to help Emma soon became a routine where the both of them would prepare the feast together. Some mornings, Henry will wake up to a pair of flour-dusted women laughing in the kitchen. The first time Regina realized that her plan was working was when the sheriff wrapped her arms around the mayor from behind one morning. She gave the smiles sparingly at Emma's attempts to flirt, careful not to appear too eager. When Regina felt it was enough time, she leaned into Emma's embrace. The sheriff took the invitation then and took in Regina's scent before whispering "You smell so good" into her ear. It was also the first time Regina let out an unplanned giggle.

Henry didn't seem to mind the progression of the relationship between his two mothers, rolling his eyes sometimes when the two exchange knowing glances mid-conversation across the dinner table. But he kept silent, not wanting to jinx his plan.

Kisses of goodbye on the cheek during the nights where Emma returned to the small apartment she shared with Mary-Margaret soon turned into pecks on the lips.

"Move in with us," Regina blurted out one night. Henry's eyes lit up with happiness but Emma's reaction could only be described as a mix of shock and surprised. She turned it down politely, blabbering about how Mary-Margaret won't be able to pay the rent herself on her current salary. Regina's cheeks flushed with slight embarrassment then and Henry's face fell. But the rejection was smoothed over when Emma reached out for their hands. "It doesn't mean I don't love you," she reassured, eyes fixed mainly on Regina's. The mayor gave a light smile of understanding, unaware that their son was fully aware of their exchange.

Opportunity came when Henry's class went camping with Mary-Margaret. Neither wanted to be alone in an empty apartment, so Emma stayed the nights at the Mills mansion. The night of wine and chick flicks escalated into beer, pizza, and wild dancing to disco love songs. Before they know it, lips were locked in lust, shirts were torn and thrown and the morning after consisted of mild hangover, bruises and carpet burns from the many places the both of them have conquered.

When Regina woke up that morning to the piercing sunlight and caught sight of the sheriff's peaceful face, she realized that the flutter in her heart and gut wasn't just from the massive amount of alcohol consumed from the night before. She turned to her side slowly and reach out to tuck a stray blonde lock of hair behind Emma's ear. The sheriff stirred from the cool brush of fingers across her face. Green eyes smiled into brown for a brief moment before a groan escaped the sheriff's lips.

"You probably shouldn't have sent the house keeper away for these few days. She would come in handy right about now." Emma pointed out.

"I know." Regina laughed gently. "I suppose I could whip up some scrambled eggs, but I can't promise they will taste good."

The weakened hold Regina had on her plan to stop the prophecy from coming true dissipated in the few days Henry was away. Slowly, she began to recognize the feeling that was building up inside her each time she thought of Emma. It took her a while, but Regina finally figured it out-Emma wasn't the only one falling in love. On their final night alone together, Regina rested her head on the crook of Emma's neck as they watched a romantic movie in silence. The mayor wasn't sure if she could ever love again and that if she could ever, this blonde in her bed was surely the last person she had expected to make her feel this way. The sparkle of the ring on Emma's necklace caught her attention and in the spur of the moment, Regina shifted her head and planted a kiss on it.

_I found it, Daniel. The magic of love, I think I've found it again. _

Instead of questioning the gesture, Emma tread fingers through the dark hair. "Promise me you won't hurt me." Regina whispered against her chest. There was a hint of vulnerability in the firmness of the request. Emma leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I promise."

The surprise came when Regina returned home one evening, greeted by her son at the door-dressed up and well groomed. The hall was lit softly by candlelight, scent of lavender was clear in the air. Her eyes ran across the room and notice the trail of rose petals that led from the bottom of her feet to those of Emma's. The blonde stood smiling in a long, white dress.

"What is this?" Regina asked, her usual tone of demand replaced with genuine curiosity. The beam on Henry's face grew brighter as Emma made her way towards her.

"Regina," she began.

"You didn't burn down the kitchen in an attempt to cook dinner, did you?" Regina joked, placing her briefcase gently against the back of the couch, at the same time mesmerized by the blonde curls that bounced off the perfect pale skin that is Emma's shoulders when the sheriff shook her head.

"Regina," Emma repeated, this time her face inches away from the mayor's. Regina blinked, suddenly realizing where this was going. Thoughts rushed through her mind, memories of what she read at the back of Henry's book came flooding back to her. This will certainly ensure the prophecy will not come true-Regina was sure of that, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be "evil" anymore. She no longer cared about power-she only wanted _her_ happy ending, and as long as she have Henry and Emma by her side she will have it. The realization of her tricking Emma into loving her planted panic at the bottom of her gut. As it was always said, the truth will surface sooner or later.

Hands cupped the side of Regina's face gently, bringing her back to the moment. "Henry showed me everything." Emma smiled, but Regina frowned. "It doesn't matter how it started, it only matters what it became, what you've become…what _we_ all have become-a family."

"You…" a hand reached up to Emma's wrist to pull it gently off Regina's face. It was quickly sandwiched between Regina's hands. "You're not mad…?"

Emma shook her head. "I have suspected it, and I should have trusted my instincts." She laughed. "But if I had, we won't be here today. We won't have this and I won't have seen you."

Regina's mind fought to come up with a response, but Emma went on. "I don't understand everything, but through this, I've seen _you. _And that, Regina, is all that matters."

Emma ducked her head to free the necklace from her neck.

"Regina Mills," Emma said, taking a step back to descent on one bent knee in front of the mayor. "The past makes us who we are, for better or for worst-I should know that better than anyone. Everyone deserves a second chance, and I got one when I was brought into this town. What matters is who we are now, not who we used to be, and Regina, who you are is a person capable of love and deserving of happiness."

At the utter of 'happiness', Regina's lips quivered and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

"I see _you_, and I love _you_, Regina Mills." Emma said, lifting the ring up with both hands, the silver chain unhooked and pooled on the ground between them. "Will you be my Queen?"

Regina stared at the ring presented to her, then at Emma's anticipating green eyes. In that moment, it felt as though the time has stopped and it was just Emma and herself in a vacuum of stars and space. Regina didn't realize that she was holding her breath until their son interrupted.

"Say yes," he whispered.

Regina nodded, tears of happiness pooled at her brown eyes. "Yes," she breathed, holding out a hand for the blonde to slip the ring on.

"I promise, Regina, to bring you happiness until I draw my last breath." Emma said as she rose, then pulled the brunette into a passionate kiss.

When Regina opened her eyes again, they were no longer in the mansion. Her eyes darted around anxiously, searching for Henry. He stood just about a foot away, dressed in a prince's suit of royal blue and gold. She looked down and was greeted with a red coat, black leather tights and riding boots. Emma looked exactly the same, white dress still clad her body with the exception of blue and white flowers in her hair. They exchanged glances, then laughed.

"I thought I was supposed to be the white knight!" Emma blurted out, turning to Henry for an explanation of their outfits. The boy only shrugged.

"Who said white knights need to be in pants, and that Queens and Princesses need to be in dresses?" Regina retorted, and for the first time, realizing that the weight of expectations and darkness that loomed above her was lifted. She led Emma to the balcony that overlooked the Enchanted Forest. Lacing her fingers between Emma's and with an arm around their son, Regina looked to her white knight with the brightest smile.

"This is our happy ending."


End file.
